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Shoba Narayan

Shoba Narayan

Shoba Narayan is Bangalore-based award-winning author. She is also a freelance contributor who writes about art, food, fashion and travel for a number of publications.

Articles by Shoba Narayan
Shoba Narayan. (Sourced)
Shoba Narayan. (Sourced)
bengaluru news

Bangalore Talkies: The art of negotiation—Commercial Street edition

By Shoba Narayan
UPDATED ON MAR 01, 2021 03:52 PM IST
Shoba Narayan relates how she finally rolled up her sleeves and decided to wade into that murky territory usually ruled by the ubiquitous Indian grandmother—bargaining
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Clicking on the ‘raise hand’ icon makes one feel like a student whose finger the teacher had rapped and said, “Stand up on the bench”!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Clicking on the ‘raise hand’ icon makes one feel like a student whose finger the teacher had rapped and said, “Stand up on the bench”!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: Reading body language on Zoom

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUN 07, 2020 02:24 PM IST
Online interactions may be effective, but minus body language and touch, they are not nimble
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A good haircut is a thing of beauty. It makes a man look put together and confident.(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
A good haircut is a thing of beauty. It makes a man look put together and confident.(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Why are men yearning for the barber

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAY 23, 2020 10:23 PM IST
For men, the barber is not just a haircutter. He is a therapist, beautician and philosopher, all rolled into one.
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Technology may have made things easy, but once in a while we need to go and haggle with the vendors(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Technology may have made things easy, but once in a while we need to go and haggle with the vendors(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Learning life lessons at the local bazaar

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAY 10, 2020 06:30 AM IST
Bargaining isn’t about money. It is about creating relationships out of transactions.
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Malvika Sarukkai’s new solo production is based on the Bhagavad Gita, Hinduism’s most influential and beloved scripture(Sudeep Bhattacharya)
Malvika Sarukkai’s new solo production is based on the Bhagavad Gita, Hinduism’s most influential and beloved scripture(Sudeep Bhattacharya)
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HT Brunch Cover Story: One of India’s greatest dancers, Malvika Sarukkai, is facing her biggest challenge

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON APR 26, 2020 03:50 AM IST
The ace Bharatanatyam dancer reveals how she gave a sacred scripture the physicality of dance
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Indian recipe blogs thrive because they offer precise measurements(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Indian recipe blogs thrive because they offer precise measurements(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Recipe for a relationship

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON APR 26, 2020 02:57 AM IST
Struggling to cook? Phone your relatives in the ancestral village
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Add moments of colour and joy, it makes life worth living!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Add moments of colour and joy, it makes life worth living!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Love in a time of corona

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON APR 12, 2020 02:41 AM IST
Think of this as a time to recalibrate your perspective on life
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Gyms being closed doesn’t mean you cannot exercise. Do the plank at home(Photo Imaging by Parth Garg)
Gyms being closed doesn’t mean you cannot exercise. Do the plank at home(Photo Imaging by Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: 27 things to do while in isolation

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAR 28, 2020 10:29 PM IST
Don’t let the Coronavirus get you down
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The writer loved the neighbourhood aunty with that unabashed sincerity of starving little kids who saw sunshine in a samosa and rainbows in the raw mango slices she fed(Photo: istock)
The writer loved the neighbourhood aunty with that unabashed sincerity of starving little kids who saw sunshine in a samosa and rainbows in the raw mango slices she fed(Photo: istock)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Map of the soul

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAR 15, 2020 12:17 AM IST
Sometimes music is the only way to bring one back to life
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Urban educated professionals deal with people based on the place and situation(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Urban educated professionals deal with people based on the place and situation(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: How to make friends with your neighbour

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON FEB 29, 2020 09:51 PM IST
Differences vanish when you embrace a person’s humanity
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Every relationship is held together or torn apart by three things: passion, principles and people(Getty images)
Every relationship is held together or torn apart by three things: passion, principles and people(Getty images)
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This Indian life: Lessons in love and my funny Valentine

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON FEB 16, 2020 12:13 AM IST
Could it be that a marriage lasts because both spouses value what they have more than what they give up?
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All you may need is love. But sometimes you need food to facilitate the love(Getty Images)
All you may need is love. But sometimes you need food to facilitate the love(Getty Images)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: The pleasures of an Indian gooseberry

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON FEB 01, 2020 09:20 PM IST
Love is not the only thing that makes the world go round
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Normal is an outdated concept. These days anything goes...(Shutterstock)
Normal is an outdated concept. These days anything goes...(Shutterstock)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: What colour is your chocolate?

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 19, 2020 12:28 AM IST
White or dark, it’s all normal. All chocolate. And love is love.
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Relatives, who seem to be bigots and hypocrites, can often put you off guard(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Relatives, who seem to be bigots and hypocrites, can often put you off guard(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: How to deal with family members who seem intolerant about issues you support

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2020 10:34 PM IST
Don’t shut out the hypocrites and bigots in your family. Engage with them instead. You may be surprised.
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Christmas traditions are both universal and individualistic(Photo: Shutterstock)
Christmas traditions are both universal and individualistic(Photo: Shutterstock)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Baking Christmas cake with Uncle Chandy

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 23, 2019 01:03 PM IST
It’s the only way to truly feel the spirit of the season
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WhatsApp is like flying blind. It expunges context and exaggerates tone(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
WhatsApp is like flying blind. It expunges context and exaggerates tone(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: On conquering WhatsApp addiction

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 07, 2019 11:50 PM IST
Tips and tricks for the most common instant messaging problems
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WhatsApp groups with a laissez-faire attitude towards all content are like a village square, with a lot of noise and chaos(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
WhatsApp groups with a laissez-faire attitude towards all content are like a village square, with a lot of noise and chaos(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: The life and death of a WhatsApp group

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON NOV 23, 2019 11:43 PM IST
When forwards lead to fulmination, it’s soon time to say goodbye
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The birth of a new WhatsApp group is a joyous thing. But then, every WhatsApp group has a life cycle.(Shutterstock)
The birth of a new WhatsApp group is a joyous thing. But then, every WhatsApp group has a life cycle.(Shutterstock)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Did WhatsApp group messaging make Diwali fun?

By Shoba Narayan
UPDATED ON NOV 17, 2019 01:23 AM IST
Even a festival cannot be all happy happy when you are a member of a massive WhatsApp group
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There comes a point in everyone’s life when you go from being the one taking charge — the adult — to the one being cared for!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
There comes a point in everyone’s life when you go from being the one taking charge — the adult — to the one being cared for!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life: When do you become just your child’s ‘Plus One’?

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON OCT 27, 2019 12:25 AM IST
Graceful ageing is about giving up power but retaining self-control
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In India, Gods can morph into floats and priests can openly ask for bribes in order to get close to an equal God!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
In India, Gods can morph into floats and priests can openly ask for bribes in order to get close to an equal God!(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: What are Indian family values?

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON OCT 13, 2019 12:00 AM IST
Would individual principles work in a population that is largely contradictory, inconsistent, and boundary-free
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Each family has its own set of rules, which are specific to what’s important to them(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Each family has its own set of rules, which are specific to what’s important to them(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian Life: How to uphold family values

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON SEP 28, 2019 11:50 PM IST
Films tell us that families are about izzat and dharm, but isn’t there anything else?
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Most of us begin our love journey longing for physical touch, which later becomes all about quality time(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Most of us begin our love journey longing for physical touch, which later becomes all about quality time(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: The languages of love

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON SEP 14, 2019 10:37 PM IST
Hearts, flowers and cuddly teddy bears are not the only way to express affection
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Marriage is hard as it is, and a prenup feels like taking permission to bolt(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Marriage is hard as it is, and a prenup feels like taking permission to bolt(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: Why prenup is not a good idea after all?

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON SEP 01, 2019 01:30 AM IST
This legal document breaks down into numbers and decimals a relationship that is based on the sacred
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The once hurt condor steps off the cliff and flies after it’s been nursed back to health(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
The once hurt condor steps off the cliff and flies after it’s been nursed back to health(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Zen and the art of self surrender

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON AUG 17, 2019 07:58 PM IST
Living with faith sounds easy, but can be incredibly hard
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Grandchildren: Be satisfied with what you have, but always strive for greater knowledge(Getty Images)
Grandchildren: Be satisfied with what you have, but always strive for greater knowledge(Getty Images)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Life lessons from grandparents

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON AUG 03, 2019 10:20 PM IST
Learn from those who really know
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Play to win, not just on the field but in emotional battles too
Play to win, not just on the field but in emotional battles too
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Letter to a child who is leaving home

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUL 21, 2019 05:40 PM IST
10 pieces of advice to smooth your life’s journey.
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Unlike the West, here in India, we take old age casually(Shutterstock)
Unlike the West, here in India, we take old age casually(Shutterstock)
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This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Want to live longer? Start a business

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUL 06, 2019 10:42 PM IST
It is the best way t to keep the mind active and alert
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The beauty of handwritten letters wasn’t just the momentous announcements they contained, but also the mundane things you forget — about how people lived then(Shutterstock)
The beauty of handwritten letters wasn’t just the momentous announcements they contained, but also the mundane things you forget — about how people lived then(Shutterstock)
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This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: How to preserve the story of your life

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUN 22, 2019 11:54 PM IST
In the digital overload of photos, status updates and emails, where are the real milestones of your journey?
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Why do you call me names that come out of the blue? You keep asking for a divorce but is that really an option? ... .There is no winning this war(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
Why do you call me names that come out of the blue? You keep asking for a divorce but is that really an option? ... .There is no winning this war(Photo imaging: Parth Garg)
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This Indian life: He said, she said

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUN 08, 2019 11:49 PM IST
The war of words in a post-marital apocalypse...
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In Indian culture, we treat marriage as a co-mingling of two families, not two individuals(istock)
In Indian culture, we treat marriage as a co-mingling of two families, not two individuals(istock)
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This Indian life: The wedding hashtag as challenged by Aunty Mona

By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAY 26, 2019 07:47 AM IST
How older relatives put the byte on weddings of the 21st century
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